UNIT-II

SIGNAL DISTORTION IN OPTICAL FIBERS

Introduction

One of the important property of optical fiber is signal attenuation. It is also known as fiber
loss or signal loss. The signal attenuation of fiber determines the maximum distance
between transmitter and receiver. The attenuation also determines the number of
repeaters required, maintaining repeater is a costly affair. Another important property of
optical fiber is distortion mechanism. As the signal pulse travels along the fiber length it
becomes more broader. After sufficient length the broad pulses starts overlapping with
adjacent pulses. This creates error in the receiver. Hence the distortion limits the
information carrying capacity of fiber.

Attenuation
• Attenuation is a measure of decay of signal strength or loss of light power that occurs
as light pulses propagate through the length of the fiber.

• In optical fibers the attenuation is mainly caused by two physical factors absorption and
scattering losses. Absorption is because of fiber material and scattering due to structural
imperfection within the fiber. Nearly 90 % of total attenuation is caused by Rayleigh
scattering only. Microbending of optical fiber also contributes to the attenuation of
signal.

• The rate at which light is absorbed is dependent on the wavelength of the light and the
characteristics of particular glass. Glass is a silicon compound, by adding different
additional chemicals to the basic silicon dioxide the optical properties of the glass can be
changed.

• The Rayleigh scattering is wavelength dependent and reduces rapidly as the

wavelength of the incident radiation increases.
 • The attenuation of fiber is governed by the materials from which it is fabricated, the
manufacturing process and the refractive index profile chosen. Attenuation loss is
measured in dB/km.

Attenuation Units

As attenuation leads to a loss of power along the fiber, the output power is significantly less than
the couples power. Let the couples optical power is p(0) i.e. at origin (z = 0).

Then the power at distance z is given by,

… (2.1.1)

where, αp is fiber attenuation constant (per km).

This parameter is known as fiber loss or fiber attenuation.

• Attenuation is also a function of wavelength. Optical fiber wavelength as a function

of wavelength is shown in Fig. 2.1.1.
 Fig 2.1.1: Optical fiber wavelength as a function of wavelength
Example 2.1.1 : A low loss fiber has average loss of 3 dB/km at 900 nm. Compute the length
over which –

a) Power decreases by 50 % b) Power decreases by 75 %.

Solution : α = 3 dB/km

a) Power decreases by 50 %.
is given by,
z = 1 km… Ans.

b) Since power decrease by 75

%.

z = 2 km… Ans.

Example 2.1.2 : For a 30 km long fiber attenuation 0.8 dB/km at 1300nm. If a 200 µwatt power
is launched into the fiber, find the output power.

Solution : z = 30 km

= 0.8 dB/km

P(0) = 200
µW
Attenuation in optical fiber is given by,
Example 2.1.3 : When mean optical power launched into an 8 km length of fiber is 12 µW, the
mean optical power at the fiber output is 3 µW.

Determine –

Overall signal attenuation in dB.

The overall signal attenuation for a 10 km optical link using the same fiber with splices at
1 km intervals, each giving an attenuation of 1 dB.

Solution: Given : z = 8 km

P(0) = 120 µW
P(z) = 3 µW
1) Overall attenuation is given by,

2) Overall attenuation for 10 km,

Attenuation per km

Attenuation in 10
km link = 2.00 x 10 = 20 dB
 In 10 km link there will be 9 splices at 1 km interval. Each splice introducing attenuation
of 1 dB.
Total attenuation = 20 dB + 9 dB = 29 dB
Example 2.1.4 : A continuous 12 km long optical fiber link has a loss of 1.5 dB/km.

What is the minimum optical power level that must be launched into the fiber to
maintain as optical power level of 0.3 µW at the receiving end
What is the required input power if the fiber has a loss of 2.5 dB/km

Solution : Given data : z = 12 km

= 1.5 dB/km
P(0) = 0.3 µW
Attenuation in optical fiber is given by,

= 1.80
Optical power output = 4.76 x 10-9 W … Ans.

ii) Input power = P(0)

When α = 2.5 dB/km

P(0) = 4.76 µW

Input power= 4.76 µW … Ans.

Example 2.1.5 : Optical power launched into fiber at transmitter end is 150 µW. The power at
the end of 10 km length of the link working in first windows is – 38.2 dBm. Another system of
same length working in second window is 47.5 µW. Same length system working in third
window has 50 % launched power. Calculate fiber attenuation for each case and mention
wavelength of operation. [Jan./Feb.-2009, 4 Marks]

Solution : Given data:

P(0) = 150 µW

z= 10 km

z = 10 km

Attenuation in 1st window:

Attenuation in 2nd window:

Attenuation in 3rd window:

Wavelength in 1st window is 850 nm.

Wavelength in 2nd window is 1300 nm.

Wavelength in 3rd window is 1550 nm.

Example 2.1.6 : The input power to an optical fiber is 2 mW while the power measured at
the output end is 2 µW. If the fiber attenuation is 0.5 dB/km, calculate the length of the
fiber.

Solution: Given : P(0) = 2 mwatt = 2 x 10-3 watt

P(z) = 2 µwatt = 2 x 10-6 watt

α = 0.5 dB/km
 … Ans.

Absorption

• Absorption loss is related to the material composition and fabrication process of fiber.
Absorption loss results in dissipation of some optical power as hear in the fiber cable.
Although glass fibers are extremely pure, some impurities still remain as residue after
purification. The amount of absorption by these impurities depends on their
concentration and light wavelength.

Absorption in optical fiber is caused by these three mechanisms.

1. Absorption by atomic defects in the glass composition

2. Extrinsic absorption by impurity atoms in the glass material

3. Intrinsic absorption by the basic constituent atoms of the fiber material.

Absorption by Atomic Defects

Atomic defects are imperfections in the atomic structure of the fiber materials such as missing
molecules, high density clusters of atom groups. These absorption losses are negligible compared
with intrinsic and extrinsic losses.

• The absorption effect is most significant when fiber is exposed to ionizing radiation in
nuclear reactor, medical therapies, space missions etc. The radiation dames the internal
 structure of fiber. The damages are proportional to the intensity of ionizing particles.
This results in increasing attenuation due to atomic defects and absorbing optical
energy. The total dose a material receives is expressed in rad (Si), this is the unit for
measuring radiation absorbed in bulk silicon.

1 rad (Si) = 0.01 J.kg

The higher the radiation intensity more the attenuation as shown in Fig 2.2.1.

Extrinsic Absorption

Extrinsic absorption occurs due to electronic transitions between the energy level and because of
charge transitions from one ion to another. A major source of attenuation is from transition of metal
impurity ions such as iron, chromium, cobalt and copper. These losses can be upto 1 to 10 dB/km.
The effect of metallic impurities can be reduced by glass refining techniques.

• Another major extrinsic loss is caused by absorption due to OH (Hydroxil) ions impurities
dissolved in glass. Vibrations occur at wavelengths between 2.7 and 4.2 µm.

The absorption peaks occurs at 1400, 950 and 750 nm. These are first, second and third
overtones respectively.
 • Fig. 2.2.2 shows absorption spectrum for OH group in silica. Between these
absorption peaks there are regions of low attenuation.

Intrinsic Absorption

Intrinsic absorption occurs when material is in absolutely pure state, no density variation and
inhomogenities. Thus intrinsic absorption sets the fundamental lower limit on absorption for any
particular material.

• Intrinsic absorption results from electronic absorption bands in UV region and

from atomic vibration bands in the near infrared region.

• The electronic absorption bands are associated with the band gaps of amorphous glass
materials. Absorption occurs when a photon interacts with an electron in the valene
band and excites it to a higher energy level. UV absorption decays exponentially with
increasing wavelength (λ).

3
 • In the IR (infrared) region above 1.2 µm the optical waveguide loss is determined by
presence of the OH ions and inherent IR absorption of the constituent materials. The
inherent IR absorption is due to interaction between the vibrating band and the
electromagnetic field of optical signal this results in transfer of energy from field to the
band, thereby giving rise to absorption, this absorption is strong because of many bonds
present in the fiber.
The ultraviolet loss at any wavelength is expressed as,

… (2.2.1)

where, x is mole fraction of GeO2.

λ is operating wavelength.
αuv is in dB/km.

The loss in infrared (IR) region (above 1.2 µm) is given by expression :

… (2.2.2)

The expression is derived for GeO2-SiO2 glass fiber.

Rayleigh Scattering Losses

Scattering losses exists in optical fibers because of microscopic variations in the material density and
composition. As glass is composed by randomly connected network of molecules and several oxides
(e.g. SiO2, GeO2 and P2O5), these are the major cause of compositional structure fluctuation. These
two effects results to variation in refractive index and Rayleigh type scattering of light.
Rayleigh scattering of light is due to small localized changes in the refractive index of the
core and cladding material.

There are two causes during the manufacturing of fiber.

1. The first is due to slight fluctuation in mixing of ingredients. The random changes
because of this are impossible to eliminate completely.

2. The other cause is slight change in density as the silica cools and solidifies. When light ray
strikes such zones it gets scattered in all directions. The amount of scatter depends on
the size of the discontinuity compared with the wavelength of the light so the shortest
wavelength (highest frequency) suffers most scattering.

Fig. 2.3.1 shows graphically the relationship between wavelength and Rayleigh scattering
loss.
 Scattering loss for single component glass is given by,

(2.3.1)

where, n = Refractive index

kB = Boltzmann’s constant

βT = Isothermal compressibility of material

Tf = Temperature at which density fluctuations are frozen into the glass as it

solidifies (fictive temperature)

Another form of equation is

… (2.3.2)

where, P = Photoelastic coefficient

where, = Mean square refractive index fluctuation

= Volume of fiber
• Multimode fibers have higher dopant concentrations and greater compositional
fluctuations. The overall losses in this fibers are more as compared to single mode
fibers.
Mie Scattering :

• Linear scattering also occurs at inhomogenities and these arise from imperfections in the
fiber’s geometry, irregularities in the refractive index and the presence of bubbles etc.
caused during manufacture. Careful control of manufacturing process can reduce Mie
scattering to insignificant levels.
 Bending Loss
Radiative losses occur whenever an optical fiber undergoes a bend of finite radius of
curvature. Fibers can be subjected to two types of bends: a)Macroscopic bends (having radii
that are large as compared with the fiber diameter)
b) Random microscopic bends of fiber axis
Losses due to curvature and losses caused by an abrupt change in radius of curvature are referred to
as ‘bending losses.’

• The sharp bend of a fiber causes significant radiative losses and there is also
possibility of mechanical failure. This is shown in Fig. 2.4.1.

As the core bends the normal will follow it and the ray will now find itself on the wrong side of critical
angle and will escape. The sharp bends are therefore avoided.
The radiation loss from a bent fiber depends on –Field strength of certain critical distance xc
from fiber axis where power is lost through radiation.
 The radius of curvature R.

The higher order modes are less tightly bound to the fiber core, the higher order modes
radiate out of fiber firstly.

For multimode fiber, the effective number of modes that can be guided by curved fiber is
where, α is graded index profile.

is core – cladding index difference.

n2 is refractive index of cladding.k is

wave propagation constant .

N∞ is total number of modes in a straight fiber.

… (2.4.2)

Microbending

Micro bending Loss

Another form of radiation loss in optical waveguide results from mode coupling caused by random
micro bends of the optical fiber. Micro bends are repetitive small scale fluctuations in the radius of
curvature of the fiber axis. They are caused either by non uniformities in the manufacturing of the
fiber or by non uniform lateral pressures created during the cabling of the fiber. An increase in
attenuation results from micro bending because the fiber curvature causes repetitive coupling of
energy between the guided modes and the leaky or non guided modes in the fiber.
Micro bending losses can be minimized by placing a compressible jacket over the fiber. When
external forces are applied to this configuration, the jacket will be deformed but the fiber will tend to
stay relatively straight.

• Microbending is a loss due to small bending or distortions. This small microbending is

not visible. The losses due to this are temperature related, tensile related or crush
related.

• The effects of microbending on multimode fiber can result in increasing attenuation

(depending on wavelength) to a series of periodic peaks and troughs on the spectral
attenuation curve. These effects can be minimized during installation and testing.
Fig.2.4.2 illustrates microbening.
Macrobending

For slight bends, the loss is extremely small and is not observed. As the radius of curvature
decreases, the loss increases exponentially until at a certain critical radius of curvature loss
becomes observable. If the bend radius is made a bit smaller once this threshold point has
been reached, the losses suddenly become extremely large. It is known that any bound core
mode has an evanescent field tail in the cladding which decays exponentially as a function of
distance from the core. Since this field tail moves along with the field in the core, part of the
energy of a propagating mode travels in the fiber cladding. When a fiber is bent, the field tail
on the far side of the centre of curvature must move faster to keep up with the field in the
core, for the lowest order fiber mode. At a certain critical distance x c, from the centre of the
fiber; the field tail would have to move faster than the speed of light to keep up with the core
field. Since this is not possible the optical energy in the field tail beyond xc radiates away.
The amount of optical radiation from a bent fiber depends on the field strength at x c and on
the radius of curvature R. Since higher order modes are bound less tightly to the fiber core
than lower order modes, the higher order modes will radiate out of the fiber first.

• The change in spectral attenuation caused by macrobending is different to

microbending. Usually there are no peaks and troughs because in a
macrobending no light is coupled back into the core from the cladding as can
happen in the case of microbends.
• The macrobending losses are cause by large scale bending of fiber. The losses
are eliminated when the bends are straightened. The losses can be minimized
by not exceeding the long term bend radii. Fig. 2.4.3 illustrates macrobending.

Core and Cladding Loss

• Since the core and cladding have different indices of refraction hence they
have different attenuation coefficients α1 and α2 respectively.
 • For step index fiber, the loss for a mode order (v, m) is given by,

(2.5.1)

For low-order modes, the expression reduced to

(2.5.2)

where, and are fractional powers.

• For graded index fiber, loss at radial distance is expressed as,

… (2.5.3)

The loss for a given mode is expressed by,

(2.5.4)

where, P(r) is power density of that model at radial distance r.

Signal Distortion in Optical Waveguide
 • The pulse gets distorted as it travels along the fiber lengths. Pulse spreading in
fiber is referred as dispersion. Dispersion is caused by difference in the
propagation times of light rays that takes different paths during the
propagation. The light pulses travelling down the fiber encounter dispersion
effect because of this the pulse spreads out in time domain. Dispersion limits
the information bandwidth. The distortion effects can be analyzed by studying
the group velocities in guided modes.

Information Capacity Determination

• Dispersion and attenuation of pulse travelling along the fiber is shown in Fig. 2.6.1.
 • Fig. 2.6.1 shows, after travelling some distance, pulse starts broadening and
overlap with the neighbouring pulses. At certain distance the pulses are not
even distinguishable and error will occur at receiver. Therefore the information
capacity is specified by bandwidth- distance product (MHz . km). For step index
bandwidth distance product is 20 MHz . km and for graded index it is 2.5 MHz .
km.

Group Delay

• Consider a fiber cable carrying optical signal equally with various modes and
each mode contains all the spectral components in the wavelength band. All the
spectral components travel independently and they observe different time
delay and group delay in the direction of propagation. The velocity at which the
energy in a pulse travels along the fiber is known as group velocity. Group
velocity is given by,

… (2.6.1)

• Thus different frequency components in a signal will travel at different group

velocities and so will arrive at their destination at different times, for digital
modulation of carrier, this results in dispersion of pulse, which affects the
maximum rate of modulation. Let the difference in propagation times for two
side bands is δτ.
 …

(2.6.2)

where, = Wavelength difference between upper and lower sideband

(spectral width) = Dispersion coefficient (D)

Then, where, L is length of fiber.

and considering unit length L = 1.

Now
 • Dispersion is measured in picoseconds per nanometer per kilometer.

Material Dispersion

Material dispersion is also called as chromatic dispersion. Material dispersion exists due to
change in index of refraction for different wavelengths. A light ray contains components
of various wavelengths centered at wavelength λ10. The time delay is different for
different wavelength components. This results in time dispersion of pulse at the receiving
end of fiber. Fig. 2.6.2 shows index of refraction as a function of optical wavelength.

The material dispersion for unit length (L = 1) is given by

… (2.6.4)
where, c = Light velocity

λ = Center wavelength

= Second derivative of index of refraction w.r.t wavelength

Negative sign shows that the upper sideband signal (lowest wavelength) arrives
before the lower sideband (highest wavelength).
• The unit of dispersion is : ps/nm . km. The amount of material dispersion
depends upon the chemical composition of glass.

Example 2.6.1 : An LED operating at 850 nm has a spectral width of 45 nm. What is the
pulse spreading in ns/km due to material dispersion

Solution : Given : λ = 850 nm

σ = 45 nm
pulse broadening due to material dispersion is given by,

σm = σ LM

Considering length L = 1 metre

For LED source operating at 850 nm, = 0.025

M = 9.8 ps/nm/km

σm = 441 ns/km …
Ans.

Waveguide Dispersion

• Waveguide dispersion is caused by the difference in the index of refraction

between the core and cladding, resulting in a ‘drag’ effect between the core and
cladding portions of the power.

• Waveguide dispersion is significant only in fibers carrying fewer than 5-10

modes. Since multimode optical fibers carry hundreds of modes, they will not
have observable waveguide dispersion.

• The group delay (τwg) arising due to waveguide dispersion.

 …

(2.6.5)

Where, b = Normalized propagation

constant k = 2π / λ (group
velocity)
Normalized frequency V,

The second term is waveguide dispersion and is mode dependent term..

• As frequency is a function of wavelength, the group velocity of the energy varies

with frequency. The produces additional losses (waveguide dispersion). The
propagation constant (b) varies with wavelength, the causes of which are
independent of material dispersion.

Chromatic Dispersion

• The combination of material dispersion and waveguide dispersion is called

chromatic dispersion. These losses primarily concern the spectral width of
transmitter and choice of correct wavelength.
 • A graph of effective refractive index against wavelength illustrates the effects of
material, chromatic and waveguide dispersion.

Material dispersion and waveguide dispersion effects vary in vary in opposite senses as the
wavelength increased, but at an optimum wavelength around 1300 nm, two effects almost
cancel each other and chromatic dispersion is at minimum. Attenuation is therefore also at
minimum and makes 1300 nm a highly attractive operating wavelength.

Modal Dispersion

As only a certain number of modes can propagate down the fiber, each of these modes
carries the modulation signal and each one is incident on the boundary at a different
angle, they will each have their own individual propagation times. The net effect is
spreading of pulse, this form o dispersion is called modal dispersion.

• Modal dispersion takes place in multimode fibers. It is moderately present

 in graded index fibers and almost eliminated in single mode step index
fibers.

• Modal dispersion is given by,

where ∆tmodal = Dispersion

n1 = Core
refractive index
Z = Total fiber
length
c = Velocity of light in air

= Fractional refractive index

Putting in above equation
 Example 2.6.3 : For a single mode fiber n2 = 1.48 and = 0.2 % operating at A = 1320

nm, compute the waveguide dispersion if

Solution : n2 = 1.48

0.2

= 1320 nm

Waveguide dispersion is given by,z

-1.943 picosec/nm .
km.

Higher Order Dispersion

S.

Higher order dispersive effective effects are governed by dispersion slope

where, D is total dispersion

Also,

where,

β2 and β3 are second and third order dispersion parameters.

• Dispersion slope S plays an important role in designing WDM system

Dispersion Induced Limitations

• The extent of pulse broadening depends on the width and the shape of input
pulses. The pulse broadening is studied with the help of wave equation.

Basic Propagation Equation

• The basic propagation equation which governs pulse evolution in a single

mode fiber is given by,
where,

β1, β2 and β3 are different dispersion parameters.

Chirped Gaussian Pulses

• A pulse is said to b e chirped if its carrier frequency changes with time.

• For a Gaussian spectrum having spectral width σω, the pulse broadening
factor is given by,

where, Vω = 2σω σ0

Limitations of Bit Rate

• The limiting bit rate is given by,

4B σ ≤ 1

The condition relating bit rate-distance product (BL) and dispersion (D) is given
where, S is dispersion slope.Limiting bit rate a single mode fibers as a function of fiber length
for σλ = 0, a and 5nm is shown in fig. 2.6.5.

Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD)

• Different frequency component of a pulse acquires different polarization state (such

as linear polarization and circular polarization). This results in pulse broadening is
know as polarization mode dispersion (PMD).

• PMD is the limiting factor for optical communication system at high data
rates. The effects of PMD must be compensated.

Pulse Broadening in GI Fibers

• The core refractive index varies radially in case of graded index fibers, hence it supports
multimode propagation with a low intermodal delay distortion and high data rate over long
distance is possible. The higher order modes travelling in outer regions of the core, will
travel faster than the lower order modes travelling in high refractive index region. If the
index profile is carefully controlled, then the transit times of the individual modes will be
identical, so eliminating modal dispersion.
The r.m.s pulse broadening is given as:

… (2.7.1)

where,

σintermodal – R.M.S pulse width due to intermodal delay distortion.

σintermodal – R.M.S pulse width resulting from pulse broadening within each
mode.

• The intermodal delay and pulse broadening are related by expression given
by Personick.

… (2.7.2)

Where τg is group delay.

From this the expression for intermodal pulse broadening is given as:

… (2.7.3)

• The intramodal pulse broadening is given as :

… (2.7.4)

Where σλ is spectral width of optical

source.

Solving the expression

gives :
Mode Coupling
After certain initial length, the pulse distortion increases less rapidly because of mode coupling.
The energy from one mode is coupled to other modes because of Structural imperfections, Fiber
diameter variations, Refractive index variations, Microbends in cable.Due to the mode coupling,
average propagation delay become less and intermodal distortion reduces.Suppose certain
initial coupling length = Lc, mode coupling length, over Lc = Z. Additional loss associated with
mode coupling = h (dB/ km).Therefore the excess attenuation resulting from mode coupling = hZ.
The improvement in pulse spreading by mode coupling is given as :

where, C is constant independent of all dimensional quantities and refractive indices.

σc is pulse broadening under mode coupling.σ0 is pulse broadening in absence of mode
coupling. For long fiber length’s the effect of mode coupling on pulse distortion is
significant. For a graded index fiber, the effect of distance on pulse broading for
various coupling losses are shown
Design Optimization

Features of single mode fibers are : Longer life, Low attenuation ,Signal Transfer quality is good,
Modal noise is absent,Largest BW-distance product.

Basic design – optimization includes the following : Dispersion,Mode field,Diameter,bending loss,

Refractive index profile,Cut-off wavelength.

Refractive Index Profile

Dispersion of single mode silica fiber is lowest at 1300 nm while its attenuation is
minimum at 1550 nm. For archiving maximum transmission distance the dispersion null
should be at the wavelength of minimum attenuation. The waveguide dispersion is easier
to control than the material dispersion. Therefore a variety of core-cladding refractive.

1300 nm – Optimized Fibers

These are most popularly used fibers. The two configurations of 1300 nm – optimized single
mode fibers are

• Matched cladding fibers.

• Dressed cladding fibers.
Matched cladding fibers have uniform refractive index throughout its cladding. Typical
diameter is 9.0 µm and ∆ = 0.35 %.
Dressed cladding fibers have the innermost cladding portion has low refractive index than
outrcladding region. Typical diameter is 8.4 µm and ∆1 = 0.25 %, ∆2 = 0.12 %.
Fig 2.9.1 shows both types of fibers.

Dispersion Shifted Fibers

 2. The addition of wavelength and material dispersion can shift the zero
dispersion point of longer wavelength. Two configurations of
dispersion shifted fibers are

Dispersion Flattened

Dispersion flattened fibers are more complex to design. It offers much broader span of
wavelengths to suit desirable characteristics. Two configurations are :

• Fig 2.9.4 shows total resultant dispersion.

Dispersion Calculations

The total dispersion consists of material and waveguide dispersions. The resultant
intermodal dispersion is given as,

where, τ is group delay per unit length of fiber.

The broadening σ of an optical pulse is given

σ = D (λ) Lσ λ

where, σλ is half power spectral width of source.

As the dispersion varies with wavelength and fiber type. Different formulae are used
to calculate dispersions for variety of fiber at different wavelength. For a non –

dispersion shifted fiber between 1270 nm to 1340 nm wavelength, the expression for
dispersion is given as :
where,λ0 is zero dispersion wavelength.
S0 is value at dispersion slop at λ0.
 Fig 2.9.5 shows dispersion performance curve for non-dispersion shifted fibers
in 1270 – 1340 nm region.

Maximum dispersion specified as 3.5 ps/(nm . km) marked as dotted line in Fig. 2.9.5.

The cut-off frequency of an optical fiber

The cut-off frequency of an optical fiber is determined not only by the fiber itself
(modal dispersion in case of multimode fibers and waveguide dispersion in case of
single mode fibers) but also by the amount of material dispersion caused by the
spectral width of transmitter.
 Bending Loss Limitations

The macrobending and microbending losses are significant in single mode fibers at 1550 nm
region, the lower cut-off wavelengths affects more. Fig. 2.9.6 shows macrobending losses.

The bending losses are function of mode-filed diameter, smaller the mode-field diameter,
the smaller the bending loss. Fig. 2.9.7 shows loss due to mode-field diameter.The
bending losses are also function of bend-radius of curvature. If the bend radius is less, the
losses are more and when the radius is more, the bending losses are less.
Optical fiber connectors
An optical fiber connector terminates the end of an optical fiber, and enables quicker
connection and disconnection than splicing. The connectors mechanically couple and align
the cores of fibers so light can pass. Better connectors lose very little light due to reflection or
misalignment of the fibers. In all, about 100 different types of fiber optic connectors have
been introduced to the market.
An optical fiber connector is a flexible device that connects fiber cables requiring a quick
connection and disconnection. Optical fibers terminate fiber-optic connections to fiber
equipment or join two fiber connections without splicing. Hundreds of optical fiber connector
types are available, but the key differentiator is defined by the mechanical coupling
techniques and dimensions. Optical fiber connectors ensure stable connections, as they
ensure the fiber ends are optically smooth and the end-to-end positions are properly aligned.
An optical fiber connector is also known as a fiber optic connector. 1980s. Most fiber
connectors are spring loaded.
The main components of an optical fiber connector are a ferrule, sub-assembly body, cable,
stress relief boot and connector housing. The ferrule is mostly made of hardened material
like stainless steel and tungsten carbide, and it ensures the alignment during connector
mating. The connector body holds the ferrule and the coupling device serves the purpose of
male-female configuration
The fiber types for fiber optic connectors are categorized into simplex, duplex and multiple
fiber connectors. A simplex connector has one fiber terminated in the connector, whereas
duplex has two fibers terminated in the connector. Multiple fiber connectors can have two or
more fibers terminated in the connector. Optical fiber connectors are dissimilar to other
electronic connectors in that they do not have a jack and plug design. Instead they make use
of the fiber mating sleeve for connection purposes.
Common optical fiber connectors include biconic, D4, ESCON, FC, FDDI, LC and SC.

• Biconic connectors use precision tapered ends to have low insertion loss.
• D4 connectors have a keyed body for easy intermateability.
• ESCON connectors are commonly used to connect from a wall outlet to a device.
 • FC connector (fixed connection connector) is used for single-mode fibers and high-
speed communication links.
• FDDI connector is a duplex connector which makes use of a fixed shroud.
• LC connector (local connection connector) has the benefit of small-form-factor optical
transmitter/receiver assemblies and is largely used in private and public networks.
• SC connector (subscriber connector) is used in simplex and multiple applications and
is best suited for high-density applications.

In fiber-optic communication, a single-mode optical fiber (SMF) is an optical fiber designed to

carry only a single mode of light - the transverse mode. Modes are the possible solutions of
the Helmholtz equation for waves, which is obtained by combining Maxwell's equations and
the boundary conditions. These modes define the way the wave travels through space, i.e.
how the wave is distributed in space. Waves can have the same mode but have different
frequencies. This is the case in single-mode fibers, where we can have waves with different
frequencies, but of the same mode, which means that they are distributed in space in the
same way, and that gives us a single ray of light. Although the ray travels parallel to the
length of the fiber, it is often called transverse mode since its electromagnetic oscillations
occur perpendicular (transverse) to the length of the fiber. The 2009 Nobel Prize in
Physics was awarded to Charles K. Kao for his theoretical work on the single-mode optical
fiber.[1] The standard G.652 defines the most widely used form of single-mode optical fiber.[2]
The structure of a typical single-mode fiber.

1. Core 8 -9 µm diameter
2.Cladding 125 µm dia.
3.Buffer 250 µm dia.
4. Jacket 900 µm dia.
Like multi-mode optical fibers, single-mode fibers do exhibit modal dispersion resulting from
multiple spatial modes but with narrower modal dispersion.[citation needed] Single-mode fibers
are therefore better at retaining the fidelity of each light pulse over longer distances than
multi-mode fibers. For these reasons, single-mode fibers can have a higher bandwidth than
multi-mode fibers. Equipment for single-mode fiber is more expensive than equipment for
multi-mode optical fiber, but the single-mode fiber itself is usually cheaper in bulk.
Cross section of a single-mode optical fiber patch cord end, taken with a Fiberscope. The
round circle is the cladding, 125 microns in diameter. Debris is visible as a streak on the cross-
section, and glows due to the illumination.

A typical single-mode optical fiber has a core diameter between 8 and 10.5 µm[6] and a
cladding diameter of 125 µm. There are a number of special types of single-mode optical
fiber which have been chemically or physically altered to give special properties, such
as dispersion-shifted fiber and nonzero dispersion-shifted fiber. Data rates are limited
by polarization mode dispersion and chromatic dispersion. As of 2005, data rates of up to 10
gigabits per second were possible at distances of over 80 km (50 mi) with commercially
available transceivers (Xenpak). By using optical amplifiers and dispersion-compensating
devices, state-of-the-art DWDM optical systems can span thousands of kilometers at 10
Gbit/s, and several hundred kilometers at 40 Gbit/s.[citation needed]
The lowest-order bounds mode is ascertained for the wavelength of interest by
solving Maxwell's equations for the boundary conditions imposed by the fiber, which are
determined by the core diameter and the refractive indices of the core and cladding. The
solution of Maxwell's equations for the lowest order bound mode will permit a pair of
orthogonally polarized fields in the fiber, and this is the usual case in a communication fiber.
In step-index guides, single-mode operation occurs when the normalized frequency, V, is less
than or equal to 2.405. For power-law profiles, single-mode operation occurs for a
normalized frequency, V, less than approximately where g is the profile parameter.

,
Cross section of a single-mode optical fiber patch cord end, taken with a Fiberscope. The
round circle is the cladding, 125 microns in diameter. Debris is visible as a streak on the cross-
section, and glows due to the illumination.
In practice, the orthogonal polarizations may not be associated with degenerate modes.OS1
and OS2 are standard single-mode optical fiber used with wavelengths 1310 nm and 1550 nm
(size 9/125 µm) with a maximum attenuation of 1 dB/km (OS1) and 0.4 dB/km (OS2). OS1 is
defined in ISO/IEC 11801,[7] and OS2 is defined in ISO/IEC 24702.
Optical fiber connectors
Optical fiber connectors are used to join optical fibers where a connect/disconnect capability
is required. The basic connector unit is a connector assembly. A connector assembly consists
of an adapter and two connector plugs. Due to the sophisticated polishing and tuning
procedures that may be incorporated into optical connector manufacturing, connectors are
generally assembled onto optical fiber in a supplier’s manufacturing facility. However, the
assembly and polishing operations involved can be performed in the field, for example to
make cross-connect jumpers to size.
Optical fiber connectors are used in telephone company central offices, at installations on
customer premises, and in outside plant applications. Their uses include:

• Making the connection between equipment and the telephone plant in the central
office
• Connecting fibers to remote and outside plant electronics such as Optical Network
Units (ONUs) and Digital Loop Carrier (DLC) systems
• Optical cross connects in the central office
• Patching panels in the outside plant to provide architectural flexibility and to
interconnect fibers belonging to different service providers
• Connecting couplers, splitters, and Wavelength Division Multiplexers (WDMs) to
optical fibers
• Connecting optical test equipment to fibers for testing and maintenance.
Outside plant applications may involve locating connectors underground in subsurface
enclosures that may be subject to flooding, on outdoor walls, or on utility poles. The
closures that enclose them may be hermetic, or may be “free-breathing.” Hermetic
closures will prevent the connectors within being subjected to temperature swings unless
they are breached. Free-breathing enclosures will subject them to temperature and
humidity swings, and possibly to condensation and biological action from airborne
bacteria, insects, etc. Connectors in the underground plant may be subjected to
groundwater immersion if the closures containing them are breached or improperly
assembled.
The latest industry requirements for optical fiber connectors are in Telcordia GR-326, Generic
Requirements for Singlemode Optical Connectors and Jumper Assemblies.A multi-fiber optical
connector is designed to simultaneously join multiple optical fibers together, with each
optical fiber being joined to only one other optical fiber.The last part of the definition is
included so as not to confuse multi-fiber connectors with a branching component, such as a
coupler. The latter joins one optical fiber to two or more other optical fibers.Multi-fiber
optical connectors are designed to be used wherever quick and/or repetitive connects and
disconnects of a group of fibers are needed. Applications include telecommunications
companies’ Central Offices (COs), installations on customer premises, and Outside Plant (OSP)
applications.The multi-fiber optical connector can be used in the creation of a low-cost switch
for use in fiber optical testing. Another application is in cables delivered to a user with pre-
terminated multi-fiber jumpers. This would reduce the need for field splicing, which could
greatly reduce the number of hours necessary for placing an optical fiber cable in a
telecommunications network. This, in turn, would result in savings for the installer of such
cable.
The return loss RL is a measure of the portion of light that is reflected back to the source at
the junction. It is expressed in decibel. The higher the RL value in decibels, the lower are the
reflections. Typical RL values lie between 35 and 50 dB for PC, 60 to 90 dB for APC and 20 to
40 dB for multimode fibres.

In the early days of fibre-optic plug-in connectors, the abutting endfaces were polished to an
angle of 90° to the fibre axis, while current standards require PC (Physical Contact) polishing
or APC (Angled Physical Contact) polishing. The term HRL (High Return Loss) is frequently
used, but it has the same meaning as APC.

In PC polishing, the ferrule is polished to a convex end to ensure that the fibre cores touch at
their highest point. This reduces the occurrence of reflections at the junction.A further
improvement in return loss is achieved by using the APC polishing technique. Here, the
convex end surfaces of the ferrules are polished to an angle (8°) relative to the fibre axis. SC
connectors are also sold with a 9° angle. They possess IL and RL values identical to 8°
versions, and for this reason they have not established themselves worldwide.

Return Loss
In optics (particularly in fiberoptics) a loss that takes place at discontinuities of refractive
index, especially at an air-glass interface such as a fiber endface. At those interfaces, a
fraction of the optical signal is reflected back toward the source. This reflection phenomenon
is also called "Fresnel reflection loss," or simply "Fresnel loss."
Fiber optic transmission systems use lasers to transmit signals over optical fiber, and a high
optical return loss (ORL) can cause the laser to stop transmitting correctly. The measurement
of ORL is becoming more important in the characterization of optical networks as the use
of wavelength-division multiplexing increases. These systems use lasers that have a lower
tolerance for ORL, and introduce elements into the network that are located in close
proximity to the laser.
Definition of Return Loss
In technical terms, RL is the ratio of the light reflected back from a device under test, P out, to
the light launched into that device, Pin, usually expressed as a negative number in dB.
RL = 10 log10(Pout/Pin)

where is the reflected power and is the incident, or input, power.

Sources of loss include reflections and scattering along the fiber network. A typical RL value
for an Angled Physical Contact (APC) connector is about -55dB, while the RL from an open flat
polish to air is typically about -14dB. High RL is a large concern in high bitrate digital or analog
single mode systems and is also an indication of a potential failure point, or compromise, in
any optical network.